ROTC Acceptance

I recently found out that I recieved an ROTC scholarship to a few colleges. If I choose to accept the scholarship, but then get into, for instance, USMA, am I committed to attending the ROTC school, or can I back out? Thanks for your time!!

And what if I just end up choosing to go to a regular civilian college without ROTC?

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Typically they require some payment deposits for room+board etc. which, if you get into USMA, may or may not be refunded. There are some other threads detailing this. It's worth the money is what most people are saying.

And what if I just end up choosing to go to a regular civilian college without ROTC?

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... what do you mean by this?

As in go to a school where there is no ROTC program? or do you mean, go to a school with a program - but you just don't have a scholarship in hand? I'm assuming you mean the latter.

If that is the case - that means you will have to compete for a scholarship. And depending on how big the program is, it can be REALLY competitive to get. Ie: if you choose to go to PSU and compete for a scholarship, you could be competing for say, 10 scholarship allocations out of 60 applicants VS. Smalltown College ABC that has 5 scholarship allocations for 10 applicants.

See the difference? If I were you, I'd try my hardest to get a HS scholarship now - trust me, you will really appreciate that feeling once the time comes when your peers are scrambling to compete for a scholarship.

And anyways, assuming this tidbit hasn't changed over the past few years, if you want to go to a school in which you were not awarded a scholarship - you can always try transferring it to said school. Granted of course, there's no guarantees (rule to live by regardless of which Branch you go in to) you're request will be approved.

My DS has accepted his appointment to USMA. He also received a 4 yr. AROTC scholarship offer to a few schools. Would anyone advise that he accept the ROTC scholarship to one of the schools, as a Plan B?
That would give him insurance against any injury, etc. that may DQ him from USMA in the next few months, until R Day in late June.
Any advice appreciated --

Mom....this question comes up every year and the board is usually split 50-50. Half say to do exactly as you suggest and the other half says to reject the ROTC offer so that it can be offered to somebody else. There are valid arguments for both sides.

Mom....this question comes up every year and the board is usually split 50-50. Half say to do exactly as you suggest and the other half says to reject the ROTC offer so that it can be offered to somebody else. There are valid arguments for both sides.

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Now that the third board is over, would they offer it to someone else? I am just curious.

The offer won't be reoffered now. The money will eventually go back into the pool. The problem is it's not really going to be insurance since any injury that prevents entering USMA is also going to be problematic for starting ROTC.

From a ROOs standpoint, I don't mind if you sit on your offer, but be up front with me about your intentions, so I know you probably aren't coming. Your offer will be withdrawn if you don't show in the fall anyways, but if you show "accept" in the system, but haven't sent in your deposit or returned my emails about our orientation then I get bummed.